Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the impact of the cuts in the support provided by the Natural Environment and Research Council to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; and, if so, whether they consider those cuts to be in the national interest.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government are fully committed to maintaining the quality of environmental science in the UK and provide funding to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for this purpose. NERC's science budget allocation has doubled since 1997 to £334 million for this year. NERC is responsible for determining the details of how this funding is allocated to specific activities in support of this goal. NERC is currently consulting widely with stakeholders on proposals on how the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology can contribute most effectively to this in future.

China: Trade

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will set out the terms of trade ratios between the United Kingdom and China in each year since 1995.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Office for National Statistics does not publish terms of trade ratios for individual countries. However, the UK's overall terms of trade have risen gradually in recent years. In 2004, they were 5 per cent higher than in 1995.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 30 January (WA 3), whether the Department for Work and Pensions benefits and medical sections consider there to be a single World Health Organisation classification of diseases code for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis; namely, G93.3, a neurological disease; and, if so, whether they propose to amend their records, training manuals and instructions accordingly.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Entitlement to state benefits for sick and disabled people does not depend on the classification or coding of the disease or disabling condition. It depends on the functional effects that the condition has on the individual's ability for work or for self-care.
	Training and guidance to DWP staff and medical services doctors, who provide advice on benefit claims, emphasises that CFS/ME is a potentially disabling condition; and that each claim must be assessed according to the specific circumstances that apply to the individual. There are no plans to amend training or guidance:

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to become operational.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will become operational from October 2007. Two of the current commissions, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission, will join at this time with the Commission for Racial Equality joining in 2009. The new commission will also promote equality and tackle discrimination in relation to sexual orientation, age, and religion or belief—areas that are not covered by the existing commissions.
	The CEHR will also, for the first time, be charged with the promotion and protection of human rights, providing institutional support for the Human Rights Act.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What range of tasks is to be undertaken to ensure that the target date for the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights is met.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A dedicated CEHR transition programme team has been established to ensure that all aspects of the preparatory work are undertaken in sufficient time to enable the new commission to meet its establishment target date of October 2007. This includes work on: securing suitable office premises; strategic direction; organisation design; workforce structure; policy options and. arrangements for the CEHR's regional presence. Within the CEHR transition team there is a dedicated programme management function to ensure that all key dates are met.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether adequate staff and other essential resources have been allocated to secure the transition arrangements for the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: In order to ensure a smooth transition towards the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) we have established a dedicated team of experienced professionals to develop plans and to manage the process.
	The CEHR transition team is responsible for developing options for strategic direction; governance; policy development; organisational design; location of offices; regional arrangements and workforce planning in the new CEHR.
	The CEHR transition team will commission any necessary studies to inform decisions on all operational areas of the new body and will prepare a series of options for each activity, to be presented to the incoming chair and commissioners.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they propose that the Commission for Equality and Human Rights should exercise a light touch on enforcement within the private sector.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The new commission will inherit all of the enforcement powers of the previous commissions it will encompass. It will have specific duties to promote understanding and awareness of rights under the equality enactments as well as duties relating to enforcement. It will work in partnership with employers, large and small, and business to drive up good practice by providing accurate, joined up advice and information in one place on all equality and discrimination issues. We expect the commission to use its enforcement powers strategically.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, acts of unlawful discrimination will be subject to formal enforcement; and whether existing enforcement arrangements are effective.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Commission for Equality and Human Rights will inherit, from the existing equality commissions (the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission), powers to undertake investigations, support individual cases, and provide conciliation services. The new commission will also have new powers to undertake inquiries and public sector duty assessments.
	Together, the inherited and new powers of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights will provide a suite of enforcement tools that will ensure it is better able to promote compliance with anti-discrimination and human rights law, and take strategic enforcement action in certain instances of unlawful discrimination.
	Acts of unlawful discrimination will, of course, continue to be subject to the tribunal and courts system, which have responsibility for enforcement, and we continue to explore ways to improve this both for individuals with potential claims and for organisations required to comply with the law.

Department of Trade and Industry: Energy Directorate

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many officials are currently on secondment to the Energy Directorate of the Department of Trade and Industry; and, in each case, (a) what is the position held; and (b) from which organisation or company the individual is seconded.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: As at 01/02/06 there were 11 individuals on secondment to the Energy Directorate as follows.
	
		
			 Positions held Seconded from 
			 2 x Assistant Director RenewablesEnergy 2010 Target Team RWE npower 
			 1 x Emergency Planning ProjectManager National Grid Transco 
			 1 x Senior Economist Shell 
			 1 x Director, 1 x Financial Adviser Deloitte and Touche 
			 2 x Assistant Director Ernst & Young 
			 1 x Assistant Director PKF 
			 1 x Director, 1 x Assistant Director KPMG LLP

Energy: Heat Pumps

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consultations they have had with the United Kingdom Heat Pump Network; whether they have formed any assessment of the potential contribution of heat pumps to reducing carbon emissions over the next 10 years; and whether they will consult the major international manufacturers of heat pumps about the potential marketing of their products in the United Kingdom.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government held a wide-ranging public consultation exercise between June and September 2005 in relation to our strategy for the promotion of microgeneration. Officials have met representatives of heat pump manufacturers in the context of this consultation, but not specifically with the UK Heat Pump Network.
	Future Energy Solutions published a report available at www.dti.gov.uk/renewables on renewable heat that analysed the potential for ground source heat pumps to reduce carbon emissions by 2010, 2015 and 2020. The EST report Potential for Microgeneration: Study and Analysis available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy, commissioned by the DTI, also looked at the potential contribution ground-source heat pumps could make to reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and 2050.
	We will continue to involve representatives of all key technologies in our ongoing efforts to promote low-carbon technologies.

Engineering: Ministerial Responsibility

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What response they will make to the proposal by the President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers that the title of the Minister of Science and Innovation be changed to the Minister of Engineering, Science and Innovation.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government do not intend to change the title of the Minister for Science and Innovation to the Minister of Engineering, Science and Innovation.
	The Government's commitment to science and innovation was set out in the 10 year science and innovation investment framework which we published in July 2004. We remain determined to ensure that the skills needs of the UK economy are met by a highly skilled workforce that includes the full range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

Planning: Public Inquiries

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many planning public inquiries which required more than one planning inspector have been undertaken since the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 was passed; and how long these have taken.

Baroness Andrews: Since the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act was enacted in May 2004, four planning appeals being determined at a local inquiry level have been undertaken in England that required more than one inspector.
	The table below shows the details of each appeal.
	
		
			 Local PlanningAuthority Length ofInquiry(days) Date ofcommencement ofinquiry Number ofInspectors 
			 South Cambridgeshire 2 24 November 2004 2 
			 Gateshead 8 4 May 2005 2 
			 Three Rivers 3 10 November 2004 2 
			 London Borough ofHillingdon 8 31 January 2006 2

Postal Services: Belfast

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the postal strike in Belfast commenced; and whether taxpayers will be penalised if their self assessment tax returns were not delivered in Belfast by 31 January 2006.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The postal strike in Belfast started on 31 January. It is our intention not to penalise any taxpayer where the industrial action prevented delivery of a tax return by the 31 January deadline.

Regional Development Funding

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what extent regional development expenditure has been matched by private sector investment to date; and what they expect will be the ratio of public to private investment for each of the coming two years.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: England's regional development agencies have advised that the information requested is held on an individual project basis but to collate the information for all projects supported since the agencies were established in 1999 could be obtained only at considerable and disproportionate cost.
	The regional development agencies do not forecast or set targets for the ratio of public to private sector investment. However, the RDA tasking framework, which came into effect in April 2005, does require the regional development agencies to set targets for the amount of public and private sector investment in regeneration infrastructure levered in as a result of their activities. I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions on 24 January, Official Report, Col. WS 58 on the regional development agencies' reported progress between April to September 2005 against the targets set in their corporate plans for 2005 to 2008. The corporate plans, which contain targets for the amount of public and private sector investment in regeneration infrastructure levered in for the three years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08, are available on RDA websites:
	Advantage West Midlands: www.advantagewm.co.uk.
	East of England Development Agency: www.eeda.org.uk.
	East Midlands Development Agency; wwv.emda.org.uk.
	London Development Agency:www.lda.gov.uk.
	North West Development Agency: www.nwda.co.uk.
	One NorthEast:www.onenortheast.co.uk.
	South East England Development Agency: www.seeda.co.uk.
	South West of England Regional Development Agency:www.southwestrda.org.uk.
	Yorkshire Forward:www.yorkshire-forward.com.

South Armagh: Smuggling and Fraud

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each of the past four years, how many fuel laundering facilities they have closed down in South Armagh; how many people were charged as a result; and what amount of assets were seized.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The fuel laundering facilities closed down in South Armagh by HM Revenue and Customs and the numbers of individuals charged as a result in each of the past four years are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
			 Laundering Plants disrupted in"South Armagh" n/a1 8 6 8 
			 Individuals charged as a result n/a1 nil nil nil 
		
	
	Note:
	1 Figures for 2001-02 are not available as they were not recorded in an appropriate format at that time.
	The amount of assets seized at each of the laundering plants disrupted in "South Armagh" in each of the last four years are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
			 Fuel seized (litres) n/a1 45,800 19,500 94,000 
			 Vehicles n/a1 6 2 10 
			 Pumps n/a1 14 7 14 
			 Tanks and Containers n/a1 64 53 33 
		
	
	Note:
	1 Figures for 2001-02 are not available as they were not recorded in an appropriate format at that time.

Taxation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the national insurance contributions forgone as a result of those people who during the relevant tax year, for the purpose of determining their national insurance contributions, have different employments which fall below the earnings threshold; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of (a) the number of people, and (b) the tax collected from those people, who during the relevant tax year are subject to the starting rate of income tax only; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of people (a) who claim income tax relief for compensation payments; (b) who qualify for the personal allowance (age 65 to 74); (c) who qualify for the personal allowance (age 75 and over); and (d) who qualify for the individual capital gains tax allowance of £8,500 per annum.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Information on the revenue from national insurance contributions forgone from employees with several employments, and weekly earnings from each employment below the primary threshold, is not available.
	The latest estimates of starting rate taxpayers and their income tax liability can be found in table 2.5 "Income tax liabilities, by Income Range, 2005–06" on the HM Revenue & Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income–tax/2–5dec05.xls.
	Information on the number of people who claim income tax relief for compensation payments is not available.
	There are an estimated 2.5 million individuals who qualify for the 65 to 74 years olds personal allowance and 1.6 million who qualify for the 75 and over personal allowance in 2005–06
	The number of people paying capital gains tax and therefore benefiting from the full annual exempt amount is published on the HM Revenue & Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital–gains/14–1–sep05.xls.
	Information on the number of people with gains less than the annual exempt amount is not available.

Taxation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of people who for tax purposes are resident but not domiciled in the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Approximately 105,000 individuals claimed that they were resident but not domiciled in the UK in their 2003-04 self assessment tax return. This is the latest year in which information is available.

Taxation: Anti-avoidance Legislation

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any internal guidance prepared between 1997 and 2000 on whether to implement general anti-avoidance legislation.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise held consultations on introducing a general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) in 1998 and 1999 respectively. The responses to both consultations were against the introduction of a GAAR. The decision at the time was not to introduce one, and so HM Revenue and Customs holds no internal guidance on implementation, as none was produced then or since.
	In his 2004 Budget Statement, the Chancellor stated that he did not intend to introduce a general anti-avoidance rule. The Government continue to keep under review a range of options to deter non-compliance and encourage voluntary compliance, ensuring fairness of the tax system.

Taxation: Corporation Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of (a) the number of companies subject to the starting rate of corporation tax but which are not eligible for marginal relief; and (b) the tax collected from those companies; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of (a) the number of companies subject to the small companies rate of corporation tax that are eligible for marginal relief against the starting rate of corporation tax; and (b) the tax collected from those companies; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of (a) the number of companies subject to the small companies rate of corporation tax but which are not eligible for marginal relief; and (b) the tax collected from those companies; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of (a) the number of companies subject to the small companies rate of corporation tax that are eligible for marginal relief against the small companies rate of corporation tax; and (b) the tax collected from those companies.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The latest information for the financial year 2003–04, is as follows:
	
		
			 Company Number Tax Liability (£million) 
			 Subject to the starting rate of corporation tax but not eligible for marginal relief. The starting rate is 0 per cent. 224,240 0 
			 Subject to the small rate of corporation tax but eligible for marginal relief against the small rate of corporation tax. 199,060 630 
			 Subject to the small companies rate of corporation tax but not eligible for marginal relief. 227,630 4,220 
			 Subject to the main companies rate of corporation tax but eligible for marginal relief against the main companies rate of corporation tax 30,360 2,200

Taxation: Disputes

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the internal resources allocated to resolving disputes between the Inland Revenue and the relevant taxpayer.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The administration of disputes is not done in isolation but forms part of the wider administration of the direct tax systems, which is now the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs. No resource analysis in the form requested was maintained by the Inland Revenue.

Taxation: Disputes

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the amount of tax which was in dispute between the Inland Revenue and relevant taxpayers.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: I refer the noble Lord to the information contained on page R7 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report on the Accounts of the Inland Revenue 2004–05, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Trade

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they will introduce to improve the United Kingdom's terms of trade and the benefit to cost figures of our European Union membership, and to counter the negative effect of United Kingdom durable trade deficits.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A country's terms of trade are determined by the prices of its exports relative to those of imports. This is not something that in practice can be directly influenced through economic policy.
	The existence of a trade deficit for the UK does not imply negative effects for the economy. It is only part of the UK's overall balance of payments, and what matters is how it is funded. The current account deficit is financed by surpluses on the second part of the balance of payments—the financial and capital account—so the deficit is sustainable and has no negative long-term consequences.
	The UK's interests are best served by being a full and active member of the European Union (EU). This has brought significant benefits to the UK in terms of prosperity, jobs, peace and security. More than half our trade is with Europe, and 3 million British jobs are linked to exports to the EU.

Transport: Road Fuel Taxation

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the advantages and disadvantages of different rates of tax and duty on road fuels in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The introduction of regional fuel duty rates would represent a departure from the principle of uniform duty rates across the UK. Furthermore, it would also create a new control problem of ensuring that Northern Ireland duty paid fuel was not used in Great Britain.

Welfare Reform: Capability Assessment

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which healthcare professions will be represented on the expert group which is to be convened to reform the personal capability assessment, as announced in the Green Paper on welfare reform.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We are still determining the membership of the expert group which is to review the mental health component of the personal capability assessment. However, it will include experts in mental health, occupational health, occupational psychology and occupational therapy.